Rain fell hard across New Elaron that night, like the city itself was trying to wash away what had transpired at the Ardent Hollow.
Kael didn't sleep.
He couldn't.
The memory crystal haunted him—his parents' faces burned behind his eyes. But even more unsettling was the word that echoed in his mind.
> "A weapon."
What had they turned him into?
He stood on the roof of his academy dorm building, the city lights flickering below like dying embers. His hands sparked with residual power from Sovereign Echo, his new skill. He had used it once already in secret—and watched a perfect double of himself fight like a bloodthirsty echo.
Was it him?
Or something... older?
---
System Update: Rising Threats
[System Synchronization – Complete]
[New Feature Unlocked – Sovereign Quests]
[Warning: Shadowborne Heir detected in your quadrant.]
Kael's brow furrowed. "Another heir...?"
[New Quest Available]
Objective: Survive first assassination attempt. Reward: Talent Core + Power Branch Unlock.]
He didn't like how casually the system tossed that out.
"Who sent them?" he whispered.
The system pulsed.
[Unknown. Origin Masked. Elite Tier Threat.]
---
An Unexpected Visitor
The next morning, he walked into his University lecture hall like nothing had changed. But his senses were razor sharp. His Perception Matrix skill filtered faces, emotions, even blood pressure.
And then he saw her.
Row 3. Seat 7.
Long platinum hair. Crescent tattoo near her neck. Eyes like molten gold.
She didn't belong here.
The system confirmed it.
[Target Identified – Unknown Entity. Race: Unknown. Threat Level: High.]
She looked up at him and smiled.
Kael sat next to her. "You're not really a student, are you?"
She chuckled softly, brushing her hair back. "Neither are you, Kael Virell."
That stopped him cold.
"Who are you?"
The woman offered a silver card. No name. Just a symbol.
A dagger plunged into a sun.
> "My name is Seraphine. I represent the Pale Conclave."
Kael's system exploded with red warnings.
[High-Risk Faction Detected: Pale Conclave – Traffickers of forbidden lineage power. Shadowborne enemies. Rank: SS+]
Seraphine leaned in, her lips near his ear. "You're fun. Let's see if you survive."
---
The First Strike
That night, as Kael was reviewing the artifact from the auction, the room shattered around him.
A sword of living ice tore through his couch.
He didn't flinch.
Three masked attackers emerged—gliding through the windows like phantoms. Shadowsteel blades. Telekinetic boots. Cloaking auras.
Assassins.
Kael activated Sovereign Echo.
His duplicate engaged the first two in a blaze of mirror flame and frost. Kael met the third in a brutal hand-to-hand clash, his fists enhanced by Phasefire and the combat technique he copied from Lord Vethik.
His enemy was fast.
But Kael was faster.
A jab. A sweep. A flame-glide uppercut—and the mask cracked.
A woman underneath. Eyes glowing with fear... and recognition.
"You're—"
Kael crushed the mask with his boot. "I know."
The echo clone snapped the other assassin's neck. The third fled into a portal of blood mist.
Kael stood among the ruined room.
Blood on his hands.
The system chimed.
[Assassination Attempt Survived – Reward Claimed]
[Talent Core Acquired: Absorption Branch – Passive Skill Tree Unlocked]
[New Passive: Power Drain – Temporarily store any unique skill used against you.]
---
Encounter at Midnight
Later, on the academy's forbidden rooftop, he met Rin and Velveta.
"They came for you?" Rin asked.
Kael nodded. "Pale Conclave. Someone hired them. Maybe another Shadowborne heir."
Velveta's voice was cold. "Then we kill them back."
But before they could plan further, a new presence emerged.
A girl.
She shimmered into existence like a mirage—eyes violet, hair like black silk laced with runes. She wore a high-collared cloak of shifting colors.
"You made quite the noise, Kael Virell," she said.
He readied to fight.
She held up her hand. "Peace. I'm not with them. I came... to offer you a name."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "Yours?"
She shook her head.
"Veyra Astelle. The girl they say was born to kill all heirs."
---
The Shadows Coil
Kael returned to his chamber, unsettled. The name Veyra echoed in his thoughts.
The system pulled up a forbidden file.
[Veyra Astelle – Code Name: Nullborn]
Affiliation: Unknown. Power Class: X]
Threat Assessment: Beyond Scope. Do Not Engage.]
And yet she had sought him out.
Why?
---
End-of-Chapter Update:
Kael Level: 18 → 20
New Skill (Level 20 Unlock): Phantom Archive – Recall and simulate past battles to learn new techniques or improve skills.
Passive Unlock: Power Drain (Absorption Branch)
New Character Introduced: Seraphine of the Pale Conclave
New Mystery: Veyra Astelle – the Nullborn